Coin-controlled electrically-operated lock.



R. L. DICKSON. COIN CONTROLLED ELECTRICALLY OPERATED LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1913.

witnesses Mam w M w w 9 1 .0 1 0 H WK u y Z .2 m m n E Y"""""V%Hl"flflllflllf a a w w. w .1 n x t 2 n w e m d APPLICATION H1120 FEB. 13. 1913. Patent y 91 .2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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53 UL 55 E wimaw E 0 den XiZzc/fson Mr%%z4 1 1 handle 21 ROYIDEN L. DIGKSON, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

GOIN-GONTIROLLEID Application filed February 13, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, RoYonN L. DroKsoN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Coin-Controlled Electrically-Operated Lock, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide a coin-controlled electrically operated lock which is substantially fool-proof, which records the number of paid operations of the lock and does so by the opening of the associated door, which is operable only upon the insertion of the proper coin, which indicates whether or not the lock can be operated by the insertion of a coin and prevents the insertion of .a coin'if the lock cannot be so operated, and which is not easily deranged or tampered with.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of my improved lock, the casing and some other parts being shown in section and some parts being removed; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken substantially at right 1; Fig. 3 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 1, but showing the parts which are removed in the latter, the adjacent parts of the lock being in dotted lines; Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a view showing the look as applied to a door, and

the electrical connections between the battery and the lock; Fig. 6 is an enlargedrear view of the indicating disk and its associated parts; Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a section on the line 8-8 of Fig. 6; Fig. 9 is a section on the line 99 of Fig. 1; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary front elevation of a corner of the lock, showing the indicator disk beneath; Fig. 11 is a fragmentary horizontal section'through the door and door casing just above the lock; and Fig. 12 is a vertical section throughthe lower end of the coin chute, showing a coin in place to complete nections.

The lock casing comprises a base-plate 15, which is fastened to the door 16 by screws 17, and a cover-plate 18, which carries the operating parts and fits upon the base-plate 15 with a shouldered joint 19. The cover 18 is fastened to the base-plate 15 by a screw 20, the head of which is beneath an outside for pulling the door open, and

Specification of Letters Patent.

angles to Fig.

the electrical con ELECTRICALLY-OPEBATED LOCK.

Patented May so, 1916.

Serial No. 748,058.

by a'screw 22 which extends through the lower end of a shield 23 fastened to and within the cover 18 and between which and the cover 12 the various working parts are located. The screw 20 cannot be removed without first removing the handle 21. The screw 22 cannot be removed without first removing a lock plate 24 which allows access to the lower part of the lock casing for the removal of the accumulated money. access to the interior of the lock cannot be obtained save by first removing the lock plate 24, which can only be done by some one having a key. In some cases, either the screw 20 or the screw 22 may be omitted.

A bolt 25, having the tapered outer end usual in spring latches, is horizontally slidable inthe cover 18, and is withdrawable by the armature 26 of a pair of electro-magnets 27 when the latter are energized. I A spring 28 draws the armature 26 away from the poles of the magnets 27, also pushing the bolt 25 out. The armature 26 may alsobe operated to withdraw the latch 25 by a key 29 inserted through a key-hole 30 in the cover 18, and by an inside knob 31 which Thus when turned in either direction actuates a cam 32 to move the armature toward the poles of the magnets 27.

The coils of the electro-magnets 27 are connected through wires 85, the door hinges 36, and a battery 37, located wherever de-' and a swinging,

sired, to a fixed contact 38 contact 39 located in the lower end 40, of insulating material, of acoin chute 41. A coin 42 passing down through the coin chute electrically connects the two contacts 38 and 39 to complete the circuit for the magnets 27, as illustrated in Fig. 12. The lower end of the swinging contact 39 is connected to a horizontally sliding bar 45, spring-pressed outward by a spring 46 and carrying a roller 47 at its end. This roller cotiperates with a fixture 48 on the door casing 49 to push the bar 45 inward when the door 1sclosed and allow it to move outward upon the opening of a door. Thus the coin 42 is held in place between the contacts 38 and.

of the bar 45 carries a'fixed 50 which extends upward and at its an aperture 54: in the nate long and short teeth. The ratchet wheel 52 is fixed to a rotatable indicating disk 53 which bears legends equal in number to the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel, alternate legends being similar as indicated in Fig. 10. One and only one of these legends is visible at any time, through front of the cover 18. A friction spring 53 bears against the edge of the disk 53 to prevent it from being thrown forward by its momentum beyond the proper positions.

From the inner or unlettered face of the indicating disk 53 there extend inwardly a plurality of similar segmental ribs 55, equal in number to half the number of teeth of the ratchet wheel 52 and alternating with spaces of equal length with themselves. In alternate positions of the ratchet wheel the indicating ribs 55 block the path and the spaces between them clear the path of a starwheel 56 mounted on a shaft 57, the points of the star-wheel 56 passing through a slot 58 into the upper vertical part of the coin chute 11. The shaft 57 carries a second star-wheel 60, having the same number of points as the star-wheel. 56, and the star-wheel 60 cooperates with a springpressed plunger 61 mounted on the under side of the top of the cover 18 to bias the shaft 57 and the parts carried thereby to positions wherein the star. points of the star-wheel 56 occupied a fixed position, and to move such shaft always toward the nearest one of such positions. The shaft 57 is connected to drive a suitable register 62, through gears 63 if desired, the reading on which register may be seen through an aperture 64 in the front part of the casing cover 18. The shaft 57 also carries a third starwheel 65, which operates to throw the pawl 51 downward into engagement with the ratchet wheel 52, the rear end of said pawl being angled, as shown in Fig. 6, to co6perate with a leaf spring 66 which acts to hold the pawl in engagement with the ratchet wheel, or in the full line position, save when a higher tooth of the ratchet wheel passes under such pawl, at which time the pawl is lifted so far that the spring 66 acts on its rear end to move it into and hold it in its dotted line position. When the pawl 51 has been raised to its dotted line position, the next movement of the shaft 57 so actuates the star-wheel that the latter throws the pawl down again into its full line position.

The shaft 57 is actuated by the insertion of acoin 42in the coin chute 41 and the consequent turning of the star-wheel 56, but this actuation is completed by such coin only far enough to allow the coin to pass, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, the movement of the star-wheel 56 being limited at this point by a sliding stop 67 carried by the arm 50 and slidable in a guide 68. The

movement of the shaft 57 and its associated parts is completed, by the spring-pressed plunger 61 and the star-wheel 60, when the opening of the door has allowed the bar 45 and parts carried thereby to move to the left to remove the stop 67 from the path of the points of the star-wheel 56.

The coin chute 41 has its coin entrance in the top of the casing cover 18 near the back and one side, and extends first vertically downward and then obliquely and in an inclined plane across the casing to the other side and near the front, then turning down into the insulated portion 410. The points of the star wheel 56 coijperate with the first vertical. portion of the coin chute. The oblique portion of the coin chute is cut away on its under slanting side, as shown at 70, so that if a coin which is too small in size is inserted it drops out through this cutaway portion. A coin which is too large is prevented from entering the coin chute because of the limited size of the entrance thereto. The shield 23 extends upward nearly to the lower edge of the opening 70, and its upper position is bent forward against the coin chute, so that it acts as a guide for the coins falling through such opening and prevents them from getting into the moving parts of the lock. This shield also has portions 23 which extend forward to the cover 18 to inclose the armature 26, thus preventing coins dropping from the lower end of the coin chute from striking such armature or otherwise interfering with the operating parts of the lock.

In operation, the door being closed and the parts being as shown in Fig. 1 save that the pawl 51 is raised to the dotted line po sition, the insertion of a coin in the upper part of the coin chute 41 moves the star wheel 56 from the position shown in full lines in- Figs. 7 and 8 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig.8 and in full lines in Fig. 9, where it is stopped by the stop 67. This movement is not interfered with, because the indicating disk 53 is in the position shown. The star-wheel 56 moves with it the shaft 57 and the star wheels 60 and 65, and partially operates the register 62, and the star wheel 60 throws the pawl 57 to its full line position. If the coin is of the right size, so that it does not fall out through the cut-away portion 70, it finally reaches the position shown in Fig. 12, completing the circuit for the magnets 27 and causing them to move their armature 26 to the right to withdraw the bolt 25; The person desiring entrance now pulls outward on the handle 21, without turning it, to open the door 16. As the door opens, the fixture 48 allows the bar 45 to slide outwardly. thereby moving the swinging contact 39 to the left (Fig. 12) to allow the coin 42 to drop through to the bottom of the casing.

the energization The movement of the bar 45 to the left also moves the arm 50 in the same direction, thereby moving the stop 67 out of the path of the points of the star-wheel 56 and allowing such star-wheel and the shaft 57 to complete their movement to operate the register 62. Through the pawl 51 and a long tooth of the ratchet wheel 52, this movement also turns the indicating disk 53 in the direction of the arrow to change the legend under the aperture 54: from vacant to closed. This movement of the indicating disk 53 interposes one of the ribs 55 in the path of the points of the star-wheel 56, to prevent another coin from being inserted in the chute. The person desiring entrance now enters and allows the door to close upon him. The closing of the door moves the bar 415 and associated parts to the right to their former position.

When the person within now desires to come forth, he turns the knob 3l to cause the cam 32 to move the armature 26 inward to withdraw the bolt 25 again. Then he pushes the door open, and the opening of the door again allows the bar 45 and the parts carried thereby to move to the left (Fig. 1). In this movement, the pawl 51 acts against one of the shorter teeth of the ratchet wheel 52 to turn the indicating disk 53 to bring the next vacant legend under the aperture 54, and also to remove the rib 55 from the path of the points of the star-wheel 56. As the door is now allowed to close, the pawl 51 rides up on one of the long teeth of the ratchet wheel 52, so that such pawl is thrown .by the spring 66 to its dotted line position.

If the door is now opened from the inside, or by means of the key 29, the resultant movement of the bar 45 produces no movement of the indicating disk, since the pawl 51 clears the teeth of the ratchet wheel 52. However, when aperson desires to enter from the outside and deposits a coin in the coin chute, the resultant movement of the star-wheel 56 and shaft 57 causes the starwheel 65 to force the pawl 51 downward into engagement with the ratchet wheel 52 so that upon the opening of the door after of the magnets 27 the indicating disk will be operated. Only the coinproduced openings of the door produce movements of the register 62, and these movements'are not completed until the door is opened.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, two relatively movable members, a bolt carried by one of said members and coiiperating with the other, electromagnetic means for withdrawing such bolt, said electromagnetic means being controlled by the deposit of a coin, means for withdrawing said bolt independently of said electro-magnetic means, said last named means being operable from one side only of one of said members, and means for preventing the insertion of a coin save when the two relatively movable members have been separatedat least once after a previous coinproduced separation thereof.

2. In combination, two relatively movable members, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cotiperating with the other, manual and electro-magnetic means for withdrawing the bolt, said electromagnetic means being controlled by the insertion of a coin, and means controlled by the relative movement between said two members for preventing the insertion of a coin until after there have been two similar movements between said two members after a previous insertion of a coin.

3. In combination, two relatively movable members, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cotiperating with the other, electro-magnetic means for withdrawing said bolt, a coin chute for controlling said electro-magnetic means by the deposit of a coin in said chute, and means for preventing the passage of said coin from the chute until the two moved relatively to each other after the electro-magnetic means bolt.

4. In combination, two relatively movable members, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cooperating with the other, electro-magnetic means for withdrawing the bolt, a coin chute, controlling said electro-magnetic means and into engagement with which a coin passes when deposited in the chute, and means for preventing the coin from passing out of the chute until the two members have been moved relatively to each other after the deposit of a coin in the chute.

5. In combination, two relatively movable members, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cooperating with the other, electro-magnetic means for withdrawing the bolt, a coin chute, and a pair of relatively movable contacts controlling said electro-magnetic means and engageable by a coin deposited in said chute,'said contacts when in one relative position preventing the coin from passing out of engagement therewith but being movable to another relative position by a relative movement betweensaid two relatively movable members to allow the coin to pass out of engagement with them.

6. In combination, two relatively movable members, an indicating disk which in its alternate positions gives. opposite indications, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cotiperating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by the deposit of a coin and by manual means independently of a coin, and means controlled by a relative movement between said two relatively movable members members have been has withdrawn the a pair of contacts for moving said disk from each position to the next, said last named means operating on a given relative movement between said two relatively movable members permitted by a manually produced withdrawal of the bolt only when such relative movement directly follows a similar movement permitted by a coin-produced withdrawal of the bolt.

7. In combination, two relatively movable members, an indicating disk which in its alternate positions gives opposite indications, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cotiperating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by the deposit of a coin and by manual means independently of a coin, and means controlled by a relative movement between said two relatively movable members for moving said disk from each position to the next.

8. In combination, two relatively movable members, an indicating disk which in its alternate positions gives opposite indications, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cooperating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by the deposit of a coin and by manual means independently of a coin, means controlled by a relative movement between said two relatively movable members for moving said disk from each position to the next, and means: controlled by said disk for preventing the insertion of a coin to cause a withdrawal of the bolt to permit a relative movement between said two relatively movable members when the last previous similar relative movement was permitted by a coinproduced withdrawal of the bolt.

9. In combination, two relatively movable members, a disk, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cooperating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by the deposit of a coin and by manual means independently of a I coin, means controlled by relative movement between said two relatively movable members for moving said disk fromeach position to the next, and means for causing the disk-moving means to be inoperative on those relative movements between said two relatively movable members which have been produced by manual withdrawals of the bolt when such relative movements are not the first to follow similar relative movements permitted by coin-produced withdrawals of the bolt.

10. In combination, two relatively movable members, a disk, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and c0operating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by the deposit of a coin and by manual means independently of a coin, and means controlled by relative movement between said two relatively movable members for moving said disk from each position to the next.

11. In combination, two relatively movable members, a disk, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cooperating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by the deposit of a coin and by manual means independently of a coin, means controlled by relative movement between said two relatively movable members for moving said disk from each position to the next, and means controlled by said disk for preventing the insertion of a coin to cause the withdrawal of the bolt to permit a relative movement between said two relatively movable members when the last previous similar relative movement was permitted by a coin-produced withdrawal of the bolt.

12. In combination, two relatively movable members, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cooperating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by the deposits of a coin and by manual means independently of a coin, and means controlled by relative movement between said two relatively movable members upon the withdrawal of the bolt by the insertion of a coin for preventing a subsequent insertion of a. coin until a similar relative movement has been produced upon a subsequent manual withdrawal of the bolt.

13. In combination, two relatively movable members, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cooperating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by theinsertion of a coin and by manually operated means independently of a coin, and means controlled jointly by the insertion of a coin and by the next following relative movement between said two relatively movable members for registering the number of coin-controlled operations.

1a. In combination, two relatively movable members, an indicating disk which in its alternate positions gives opposite indications, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cooperating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by the deposit of a. coin and by manual means independently of a coin, and means controlled by relative movements between said two relatively movable members only upon coin-produced withdrawals of the bolt and the next similar relative movements for moving said disk from one position to the next.

15. In combination, two relatively movable members, a disk, a withdrawable bolt carried by one of said members and cooperating with the other, means for producing withdrawals of said bolt by the deposit of a coin and by manual means independently of a coin, and means controlled by relative movements between said two relatively movable members only upon coin-produced withdrawals of the bolt and the next similar relative movements for moving said disk from one position to the other.

16. A coin controlled lock including a bolt, electrical means for controlling the operation of said bolt, a circuit for energizing said electrical means, said circuit having terminals in position to be connected by a coin, a coin chute for receiving a coin and carrying it into engagement with said terminals to close said circuit, and means for producing a disengagement of said coin from said terminals to open the circuit.

17. A coin-controlled lock including a bolt,

electrical means for controlling the operation of the bolt, a circuit for energizing said electrical means having two terminals consisting of oppositely located plates inclined toward each other so that a coin may lodge between them and close the circuit, a coin chute for receiving the coin and carrying it to a position between said terminals, and a slidable ment of the coin from between said terminals.

18. A coin controlled lock including a bolt, electrical means for controlling the operation of the bolt, a circuit for energizing said electrical means, said circuit having two terminals in position to be connected by Copies of this patent may be frame for producing a disengageobtained for five cents each, by addressing the a coin, a coin chute for receiving a coin and carrying it into engagement with said terminals to close said circuit, means for holding said coin and terminals in engagement with each other to close said circuit, and means for producing a disengagement of the coin from the terminals to open the circuit.

19. A coin controlled lock including a bolt, electrical means for controlling the operation of the bolt, a circuit for energizing said electrical means, said circuit having two terminals in position to be connected by a coin, a coin chute for receiving a coin and carrying it into engagement with said terminals to close said circuit, a sliding frame provided with means for holding said coin and terminals in engagement when the frame is moved in one direction and for permitting theescape of the coin from engagement with such terminals when the frame is moved in the other direction, a spring for forcing said frame in the last-named direction, and means on the door casing for forcing said frame in the first-named direction when the door is closed.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this fifth day of February, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and thirteen.

ROYDEN L. DIGKSON.

Witnesses:

HERBERT W. CHENEY, G. B. SGHLEY.

commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

